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Ayhan's Shish-Kebab Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Mediterranean Restaurants Middle Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern [Edit]
379 S Oyster Bay RdPlainview, NY 11803
(516) 827-5300
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for Ayhan's Shish-Kebab Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...with a fistful of warm pita bread wedges, then choose from..." In 3 reviews -
"I've loved this place since the first time I went here." In 3 reviews -
"I normally get a Gyro but the Chicken Kabobs are fantastic..." In 6 reviews
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Drew A.
4/7/2012
Ayhan's has a very bright and has an inviting feel to it once you step inside.
You can find great $5 lunch coupons in Newsday every week that are good for sandwiches, salads and a number pizzas. The pizzas are extremely thin but are tasty and the perfect size for one person. I typically roll with the gyro or chicken gyro and I would put them in the above average category. The meat is not overly tasty but is far from dry and bland. The pitas have shredded lettuce in them that are doused with dressing which would usually throw the whole sandwich off but it actually blends well with the meat and the tzatziki sauce. It also makes for a better sandwich than those places who stack the meat on the bottom and then large chunks of lettuce, tomato and onion on top, allowing you to eat only one from the group in each bite. Bite of only lettuce and tomato? Fail. Mix it up friends.
The Sat and Sunday buffet (11am-3pm) has a large amount of eats laid out for you including 20 breakfast items, 30 apps and salads, 40 main courses, 10 deserts and all the fixins (according to the ad, I def did not count). I would question those numbers a bit but it is def massive and you can find almost every item on the menu out there. It is the perfect time to try something new. At the new price of 14.95 its a steal. Bring your kids, bring your husbands, bring your wife. -
Review from Tracy K.
Updated - 2/20/2012 1 photo
Tried again... gyro scraps, wilted lettuce in a wrap.. hmm....
I just can't feel the love.. pretty inside... nice but ever changing staff..
very high output.. in busy centers.. feels very automated in their approach.
Like more authentic places.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/18/2008
Atmosphere is good... food is tasty.. drinks are creative!..... A minty mohito, a lemon drop drink… Read more »
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Review from Dan M.
Old Bethpage, NY
5/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good food, good value. More extensive menu than most Mediterranean restaurants. They also have a Sunday Brunch for $14.95.
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Review from Melissa B.
Seaford, NY
3/24/2012
One of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants. Ample portions and great food. I love the Greek salad with chicken shish-kebab. They have a great Sunday brunch with a lot of variety and choices too. I also like the decor with real plants and strung lights. It's bright and cheery. Service has always been friendly.
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Review from R L.
Queens, NY
4/21/2012
decor is a little over the top but you do feel at home in this spacious setting. they have worked hard to simulate the grecian feel w/the ceiling windows that let in a bit of light and all the plants hanging around along w/the lights.
they start you w/pita type bread which needs some flavor and salt and this lemony garlicky watery dipping thing that also needs some salt for flavor.
lunch menu is a great deal - $9.95 and you get soup/salad and entree. got the mignon kebab w/pilaf and soup. kebab meat came w/3 pieces of beef and 2 mushrooms. all needed a bit of salt but meat was cooked to my liking - rare. aother ordered the pizza w/falafel on in. interesting concept - deconstructed falafel on your thin crust pizza. for appetizer we had zucchini latkes - fried delicacy but may be a bit too greasy for some's liking.
servers were very attentive and they sell product in the restaurant as well. we also saw that they have a brunch buffet on sunday that seems like a great value - $14.95 i believe for lots and lots of middle eastern favorites.
it's located in a great shopping center and we only came in b/c the rest we wanted to go to was closed for an event (w/o any notice!) and we're glad to have given it a try. you should too. -
Review from David c.
Jericho, NY
4/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have been going to these restaurants since they opened in Port Washington many years ago. This location is good food but absolutely terrible service most every time. They and the former fortunoffs location never seemed to get it right, pisses me off terribly but I like the food so I deal with it. The management here is laughable and unqualified to manage their way out of a paper bag. So in summary, good food that's a close call due to lack of service
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Review from Jada C.
Miami Beach, FL
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not a Fan of any of the dishes I ordered. They were below Par! Even the Pita Bread LOL. I LOVE Greek food but this really disappointed me. The Greek Avgolemone & Grilled Calamari was over seasoned!
My little sister never had Authentic Greek Cuisine so I wanted to show her how delicious Greek food is & I brought her here (-__-)
Bad Choice!
We both still have a fishy after taste that's lingering in the back of our throat. Very unmemorable experience that's still memorable in our taste buds LOL -
Review from Jennifer P.
Bayside, Queens, NY
I thought this was gonna be just another kebab place, but I was pleasantly surprised as I walked into a beautiful Mediterranean courtyard. The decor and ambiance was elegant and warm... I almost forgot I was in NY.
They offer a wide variety of flame grilled kebabs that are tender and full of flavor. I had the chicken kebab sandwich which was great. The meat was juicy and tender. The serving size was filling, but not too big to the point where I felt sick. The staff and service were also very friendly and hospitable.
Overall, I had a great experience and I will definitely go back! -
Review from Ranjelle J.
East Elmhurst, NY
6/13/2011 4 photos
I only come here for the Satuday/Sunday brunch buffet. For $14.95 per person, I think it's just fair. However, the selections are amazing. I really love the Tabbouleh salad & chicken shish kebab. The chocolate chip baklava is great, as well.
Uhmm..the cappuccino? yes, it tastes excellent, but they serve it in a small cup and it is pricey (for $4.50?) for such a small amount. -
Review from Elizabeth D.
Plainview, NY
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Delicious food and friendly service. Reasonably priced. The desserts are delicious, on particular the pistachio Baklava!
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Review from Franco C.
5/19/2007
Decent place for Mediterranean style food. This location is huge and service is always very slow - the place gets pretty packed out, the prices are mid-level, not really a bargain. Sometimes you get hummus and pita when you sit, sometimes you get ignored.
Food is good but there are better Mediterranean alternatives out there. -
Review from Thomas R.
Farmingdale, NY
8/17/2010
This is your typical mediteranean place. It's nicely located in the Plainview shopping center which makes is attractive. I've been here twice and had a chicken gyro on both occasions. The first time, I ate in and much to my suprise this place was huge, there is a ton of seating inside.
The second time, I stopped for lunch and a got a gyro to go. They whipped it up pretty quick and was pleased with the food.
This place is relatively inexpensive and if you watch the local ads you can find $5 lunch coupons for this place, so keep an eye out. -
Review from Ryan F.
7/20/2010
We've only gone for their buffet brunch, and the value can't be beat! The offerings certainly are a change of pace from other brunch restaurants, but realize that you get what you pay for... If you don't go in expecting too much in return for their reasonably priced (it was less than $15 per person) buffet brunch, you'll be more than happy here!
Start with a fistful of warm pita bread wedges, then choose from a variety of hummus spreads, baba ganoush, tzatziki and other tasty dips. There's a handful of cold salads, some lox, cream cheese, onions and bagels (although I use the pitas for everything since they're more of a treat for me). Further down the line, some hot selections, (both breakfast and lunch) await. While breakfast offerings are "neutral" (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes), you'll find seasoned chicken and lamb and some other meat and fish offerings to round out your plate. Don't forget to save room for some baklava and other tasty bite-sized desserts. You also get a complimentary cocktail, but coffee and tea are extra (although I'm sure you could swap the two if you weren't in the mood for a drink).
Service is always friendly, atmosphere is nice but not tacky, but sometimes it gets crowded here during brunch times. Again, don't go in there expecting the world and you'll be more than satisfied with the value and change of pace! -
Review from Edison C.
12/1/2008
I used to have a witty little button that said "CONAN THE SUBURBIAN". It accurately described me, and might still... the jury's still out there. Ayhan's place is out in the 'burbs, there's no escaping it. However, anyone raised in the suburbs of NYC knows that excellent dining is still to be had, even in the burbs, due to the breadth of the melting pot of folks splattered around a healthy radius of Manhattan.
Now that I've got that extremely tangential opening out of the way...Ayhan's service was excellent. It was totally packed, but our server was prompt.
I've mentioned before that I can't haz the gluten, so I could not sample the pitas. Wah.
I have been here before, pre-Yelp, and had a fine chicken gyro plate. Our family kinda splurged on this outing, though, so along with my small greek salad, I had the Royal Dorado. The Dorado is what they call that fish in Spain, anyway; it became popular a couple years ago. I can't tell if this is the one that is overfished or not, but either way, it got eaten. Tasty, but pricey. If you're located on Long Island, tho, near a number of fresh fish from the atlantic, why the hell are you eating a fish trucked in from ISRAEL?
I should be asking myself that question, shouldn't I. Hrm.
Because we can? Oh right, Mediterranean.
Overall, a friendly Greek restaurant stuck in another strip mall.
Depending on your taste (and your wallet), you might prefer Zorba, which is just down the street a few blocks. -
Review from Andrea S.
Forest Hills, Queens, NY
2/24/2009
My fiance and I rarely make it out to Plainview, but since tax season is in full swing, we had to go see our tax guy. After we left, we were packing quite an appetite and instead of waiting till we made it back to little ol' Queens, we decided to go across the street to Ayhan's Shish-Kebabs. As soon as we walked in, I was pleasantly surprised with the size and decor of the place since from outside, it looked like nothing special.
As soon as we sat down, we were greeted with smiles and delicious warm bread (love it when they heat it up for you) with a yogurt sauce. Yum. As we looked at the menu, we decided to go for the calamari since it said it was the "best". Sad to say, it wasn't the "best" (watery sauce), it was just your old, regular calamari although it certainly was a hefty portion.
I ordered a Grilled Salmon Salad and my fiance the Mixed Meats entree and boy did they pack it in! I'll just say that the portions there are enormous! I don't think a salad has ever gone so untouched, even though I kept going at it. It was huge not to mention delicious. They put a layer of feta cheese under my salmon which gave it a nice flavor. The mixed meats entree could have been for 2 people it was so huge. All I have to say is that even my fiance couldn't finish it all and if you know him, this is in itself a testament of how huge this meal was. The meats were quite flavorful and had all distinct, delicious spices. They had lamb kebabs, chicken kebabs, and other meats that tasted nice and tender.
So, all was seemingly great till... I had to ask for a cup of water. With all that food, I needed to be hydrated and the waitress would pass me countless times without filing my glass. That's just one of my pet peeves. But other then that, go there if you're reallllllllly hungry and need lots of food! -
Review from Laura R.
Massapequa, NY
Updated - 1/27/2012
Went here again just to see if my first time was a fluke. I must say I liked the place better the second time around. Service was outstanding. The food I had the shrimp and pasta my husband has the sesame crusted salmon. Both we're fantastic. This Ayhan's is a very well run establishment.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/23/2011
We went here tonight because we had a coupon deal. The place is in a very nice location and the… Read more »
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Review from Amy S.
South Amboy, NJ
6/14/2008
I always have a great meal here. I normally get a Gyro but the Chicken Kabobs are fantastic too. I love the grilled shrimp as well. I don't think I have any better rice than what they have at Ayhan's. The basamati rice is to die for.
Sometimes they get busy and the service isn't as quick as it is other times but we are rarely left waiting a VERY long time. I think it happened once but during dinner hours that is expected.
The pitas and yogurt....I could eat that all day long. -
Review from Nicole L.
New York, NY
5/17/2010
Shish Kebab is a decent place to get a mediterranean meal on Long Island. I particularly like the Plainview location because I've always found the service to be on point, and the space is large enough to accomodate the large groups with whom I've come to this restaurant.
Most of my visits have been for dinner, where the food is always fine, and exactly as described, but nothing beats their serve yourself brunch. It's incredible. There are so many fresh mediterranean salads and usual breakfast favories to please absolutely anyone. Picture rows and rows of feta cheese, pita, hummus, babaganoush (which is AMAZING here), spanakopita, fries, falafel, baklava, orzo salad, greek salad, israeli couscous salad, and much more. It's all so wonderful. Everything looks and tastes fresh, delicious, and plentiful, and the price is right, for sure.
My only qualm here, and the reason why 3 stars is the most I can offer, is the fact that their lunch and dinner options are merely decent tasting, and because for Mother's Day brunch this year, they were ridiculously overbooked, and we had to wait for 20 minutes on a crazy long line in order to get our food. Not exactly a pleasant experience. -
Review from Tony F.
Huntington, NY
6/15/2008
I've loved this place since the first time I went here. It has some of the freshest most well prepared Mediterranean dishes I have ever had. Their steaks are well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The grilled shrimps are so good, probably the best I've ever had. For appetizers I highly recommend the falafel salad, and they also have a tabuli salad which is very good also.
Every now and then I develop a mad craving for a Gyro and without a doubt this is the place to go. The basmati rice, I can't even describe how good it is, but I usually have to stab my girlfriends hand with my fork to get some more.
I'm not huge on desserts, but theirs are really good, the baklava, the galaktobouriko is a slice of custardy, flakey heaven with some honey to top it off. The prices are moderate and the service is good, they do have their moments where they can be slow, but for the overall experience it is worth it. -
Review from Jason P.
7/1/2008
We were in the mood for gyros and kebabs, so we decided to check out Ayhan's Shish-Kebabs. Ayhan's is located in the beautiful Plainview Shopping Center. It was a beautiful day today, so Ayhan's had several white plastic tables with umbrellas set out in front of the restaurant. We decided to eat inside though. As soon as you walk in Ayhan's, it felt like you walked into another world. The decor gives the feeling that you have just stepped into Greece. Walls are the beige cement with vines running all across the walls and ceiling. There were white christmas-like lights throughout the restaurant to give it the mood that you were outdoors as the sun was setting. The tables are wooden tables with a blue/white checkerboard plastic cover, reminiscent of the typical Greek restaurant. There are about 30-40 tables in the restaurant, possibly more or less. It was a bit difficult since the tables stretched all the way to the back of the restaurant, which is long and narrow. I loved the ambiance, it didn't feel cheesy at all.
Service was subpar. The waiter never came by to see if everything was alright during our meals. A busboy did come by two times to refill our glasses of water, but the waiter only came to take our orders and to drop the bill off.
As soon as we sat down, we were served bread with tzatziki sauce. The tzatziki sauce (yogurt with cucumbers and paprika to season on top) was your standar fare tasting sauce. For our lunch entrees, I decided to get the Doner Gyro (Beef & Lamb) Pita Sandwich ($8.50) which included thinly sliced pieces of beef and lamb blended with seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, and vinaigrette dressing. Served on the side, are steak fries and Tzatziki sauce. The gyro portions were not large, with about 10 slices of gyro meat and a ton of lettuce, tomatoes, and a light vinaigrette dressing. The gyro meat was moist and well-seasoned, but I think a little more gyro meat could have been added for the price that I paid. The steak fries are your typical diner steak fries, slight crunch on the outside and very moist and potatoey inside. One of my colleague's had ordered the Trio Kebab ($18.95) which included 3 kebabs (grilled shrimp kebab, mignon kebab and chicken kebab with mushrooms and onions). Served underneath the kebabs was basmati rice pilaf and green peas. The portions were decently sized and beautifully presented (shrimp kebabs in particular). The shrimp was semi-butterflied and the shell was taken off up to the tail, the tiger shrimp being on one side and the shell of the shrimp connected by the tail. The basmati rice was very tasty and well-seasoned. The shrimp kebab was cooked perfectly, not too chewy nor mushy. I was hugely disappointed with the mignon and chicken kebabs which were overcooked and very dry. There was not much taste to it, salt and peper could have simply added some nice flavor to it. I would have easily been satisfied with the tiger shrimp kebab and the basmati rice.
Overall, the food was good but not to die for. I was pleased with my dish, though a little on the small side for the price I had paid. I can easily pass from coming back to this restaurant, but there was quite a bit of other interesting items to try out, and not to mention the ambiance was very pleasant. Maybe I just might come back here. -
Review from Julie C.
Richmond Hill, NY
11/7/2010
We've gone here twice and both times were were not disappointed.
First time, we had the 3 course prix fixed dinner. We had the hummus, red lentil soup, moussaka, chicken kabob, and baklava.
Second time I had the same 3 course dinner, while my husband ordered the hummus (again!), roasted lamb shank, and meat pie (individual portion).
The food was delicious and the main course portions are generous. They give you free fresh made pita/bread that come with the tzatziki and this other delicious dip.
The staff was friendly and the service was good. -
Review from Susan B.
Bethpage, NY
9/10/2010
I was less than impressed with their luke warm / cold buffet food. Blah...
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Review from Jina Y.
Hicksville, NY
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went for their Sunday brunch. Decor was screaming mediterranean, which wasn't too bad but not really my style. It was clean and bright, which I appreciated. Selection was pretty good. Really LOVED their Israeli couscous. For $16/per, it was really good. Wait staff was accommodating, which is a plus when you are walking in with 8 people without reservation on father's day. Overall good experience. Will return soon.
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Review from Deepak W.
Central Islip, NY
4/28/2010
I was in the mood for some food with flavor so I thought of Mediterranean food. I Yelped places in Plainview, NY and came up with this place. I got some Shish Kebabs and an appetizer. The kebabs were bland. No salt or seasoning and the appetizers were overly salted to the point of being bitter. The bill was a little over $40 which I felt was way overpriced. I would not go to this place to eat again. Now, to be fair, I did get a gyro from here a long time ago and that was very good. So, maybe it is just good enough for gyros.
